The Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (“ISLA”) is based on the belief that strategic litigation is an immensely strong tool for social change because it helps to reframe the understanding of entitlements before the law and it challenges the legal discourse on women’s rights and sexual rights. ISLA stands for the proposition that investment in local institutions and individuals is key to maximizing the impact of strategic litigation.

ISLA seeks to use the rule of law and African domestic and regional courts to advance women’s human rights and sexual rights. It will be the first Africa-based and -run strategic litigation initiative with a regional focus and expertise on women’s human rights and sexual rights. This is achieved by building networks across the continent that work on strategic litigation.